Donnell Kie, a junior at Ballou Senior High School and member of DC Campaign's Youth Leadership Task Force, testified at a hearing before the City Council, Committee of the Whole, on Saturday, October 13, 2007. The hearing was convened by City Council Chairman Vincent Gray at the John A. Wilson Building to hear the concerns of youth.
Teens are experts on their own lives. They know firsthand how processes work for them and how they access services.
Three members of the YLTF who attended the hearing, including Donnell Kie, also spoke with Mayor Fenty after the hearing.
The Youth Leadership Task Force (YLTF) cultivates character development through leadership and advocacy training, while providing teen pregnancy prevention facts and information to boys at several schools across the District and a coed group of teens that meet in Shaw at DC Campaign's headquarters. YLTF members are actively involved in everything DC Campaign does. They keep us connected to the pulse of youth culture, visit and testify before the City Council and school officials, write letters to the editor, moderate panels, and tell their stories at roundtables.
The Youth Leadership Task Force and Teen Town Hall meetings are opportunities for young people to share their opinions about what it takes to prevent teen pregnancy in their communities. DC Campaign garners insight into the priorities and visions for the future of young people across the city through these gatherings.
The Youth Leadership Task Force focuses on:
Character Development: with the belief that all boys can grow to reach their ultimate potential. The YLTF builds confidence, enhances physical well-being, increases self-control, reinforces writing and public speaking skills.
Decision Making Skills: helps the boys learn to make deliberate decisions to live a healthy life and make decisions that lead to better personal outcomes.
Equal Citizens: increase awareness of rights and responsibilities of being a citizen. The boys become aware that they have and deserve the same rights as others, and to not expect anything less than the best for themselves and from others.
Broaden Horizons: increasing awareness of greater possibilities and exposure to new experiences, cultures, ideas and opportunities.
The Youth Leadership Task Force provides the boys with another layer of concerned adults in their lives.
DC Campaign always welcomes new members. If you are interested, please e-mail Jay Cooper at: JCooper (at) dccampaign (dot) org.
It Just Happened Briefing by YLTF Members
"It just happened, is what teens often say when confronted with questions about pregnancy. To highlight the importance of parent/teen communication, DC Campaign held a briefing to release, It Just Happened, a comic book written and produced by the Youth Leadership Task Force. The comic book focuses on situations that teens encounter every day and stresses the importance of why families must talk about teen pregnancy prevention.
Donnell Kie, a junior at Ballou Senior High School and member of DC Campaign's Youth Leadership Task Force, testified at a hearing before the City Council, Committee of the Whole, on Saturday, October 13, 2007. The hearing was convened by City Council Chairman Vincent Gray at the John A. Wilson Building to hear the concerns of youth.
The Youth Leadership Task Force (YLTF) cultivates character development through leadership and advocacy training, while providing teen pregnancy prevention facts and information to boys at several schools across the District and a coed group of teens that meet in Shaw at DC Campaign's headquarters. YLTF members are actively involved in everything DC Campaign does. They keep us connected to the pulse of youth culture, visit and testify before the City Council and school officials, write letters to the editor, moderate panels, and tell their stories at roundtables.
